Viewing figures for the 2026 World Cup have been massive so far, with footy-mad audiences lapping up the coverage. England's victory over Croatia had a peak audience of 15.4 million on ITV, but that was nothing compared to Brazil where more than 30 million people watched as the Seleçao beat Haiti. In Japan, the Samurai Blue drew a crowd of more than 20 million to Nippon TV for their match with Tunisia, while crowds watching the game on their phones flooded across Shibuya Crossing to celebrate a goal.
Global viewing parties showcase diverse venues
Photographs from across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas show communities gathering to watch the greatest show on earth. In Toronto, Canada, a drone view captured fans watching a match from kayaks and canoes at Olympic Island, cheering Germany's win over Côte d'Ivoire. In Jordan, fans gathered at the second-century Roman amphitheatre in Amman to watch their national team's group match against Algeria. A crowd crush later occurred at the city's Hashemite Square in which one person died and eight people were injured.
Unique locations from Guatemala to Gaza
Vendors of La Terminal market in Guatemala City watched the match between Czech Republic and South Africa. Bosnia and Herzegovina fans in Sarajevo celebrated with flares after Jovo Lukic scored their goal against Canada. In Kumrovec, northern Croatia, locals watched a projection of the match between England and Croatia on a barn wall. In the southern Gaza Strip, former Palestinian football player Fadi al-Arawi watched a match streamed on a laptop alongside others in Khan Younis.
Fan zones in churches, fortresses, and book gardens
Football fans at a church in Bad Cannstatt, Stuttgart, Germany, watched the Group E match between Germany and Curaçao. Argentina fans in Dhaka watched the match between Argentina and Algeria on a giant screen. People attended a watch party for the game between USA and Paraguay at Intrepid Museum in New York. Turkish fans at the historic Yedikule Fortress in Istanbul revelled while watching a giant screen of the Group D match between Australia and Turkey. Iranian fans at Tehran Book Garden watched the match between Iran and New Zealand.
Watch parties in London, Seattle, and Port-au-Prince
England fans at Boxpark in Wembley, London, reacted as they watched the match against Ghana. USA fans on the waterfront in Seattle watched the nation's match against Paraguay on a big screen. Haitian fans perched in a tree in Port-au-Prince watched the match between Scotland and Haiti. South Korean fans at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul reacted as they watched the match between South Korea and Mexico on big screens.
Massive screens in Dakar, Tokyo, and Buenos Aires
A watch party at the African Renaissance Monument in Dakar for the Group I match between Senegal and France drew crowds. People at Shibuya crossing in Tokyo celebrated Japan's victory over Tunisia. A family in Vereeniging, South Africa, watched a match on the opening day of the tournament. USA supporters at the fan zone in Washington watched their nation's big win against Paraguay. Australian fans watched on large screens in a park in Sydney as their team played the United States. An aerial view in Buenos Aires showed Argentina fans watching on a giant screen as their team defeated Austria. Swimmers in a pool at the Circa Resort & Casino in Las Vegas watched USA defeat Australia. Scotland fans at the Hydro in Glasgow watched their nation's narrow defeat to Morocco.
Upcoming blockbuster games expected to break records
Of course, the real blockbuster games are still to come: the 2022 World Cup final between Argentina and France reached an average live audience of 571 million viewers globally, according to Fifa.
